


Not to Be Late

by lionessvalenti



Category: Suits (TV)
Genre: Gen, Gen Fic, Possible Resolution
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-15
Updated: 2011-09-15
Packaged: 2017-10-23 18:47:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/253707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lionessvalenti/pseuds/lionessvalenti
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mike walks into Harvey's office for the last time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not to Be Late

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a couple weeks ago, and then I went on vacation and forgot about it. Just finished up season one, and thought the fic appropriate to post.

Mike's hands shook as he pushed open the door to Harvey's office. Harvey looked up at him, with his usual expression of mild annoyance and vast superiority.

Mike didn't know how he could be so calm. It was over. They were done.

"You cut it close," Harvey said. Despite looking the part of a fierce and bored attorney, his voice was quieter than usual. He didn't have to be sharp with Mike anymore. "Our meeting with Jessica is in ten minutes."

Mike tried to swallow, but found that his mouth was dry. "How's this going to go?"

"I think we both know how this is going to go," Harvey replied. "You're going to get fired because you shouldn't have been hired in the first place, and then you'll be escorted from the building. After that, Jessica is going to ream my ass and I'll be put in front of the bar."

"Could you just..." Mike paused, looking into Harvey's face as he waited for what Mike was going to say to him. Maybe he expected some brilliant idea, because Harvey never waited. "Tell her you didn't know."

Harvey stood up in a sudden motion. He carefully buttoned his jacket and walked around the desk, so he and Mike were face-to-face. "Do you really think I'm going to throw you under the bus like that?"

"No, I know you wouldn't do that. That's why I'm asking you to. I'll tell Jessica you had nothing to do with it, that I scammed you, just like everyone else."

"She won't believe you."

"I fooled her. I fooled Louis, and not to mention all the clients I worked with, and I did it for months. Are you telling me she wouldn't believe that I fooled you too? Are you really that good -- better than her, even -- that you wouldn't be fooled, even when everyone else was?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Harvey replied. "It's not about being better than her or anyone. It's about working with you. There is no way I could work with you every day and not know. Jessica wouldn't believe that I could work with you for months and not sense that something was off. And she knows that I would have dug around until I figured it out, because that's what I do. Besides, do you really think anyone would believe that you're the mastermind behind this?"

They were here, in the moment Mike had been fearing and dreading for months, and Harvey was insulting him.

Mike sighed. "I'm trying to protect you."

Harvey reached out and put his hand on Mike's shoulder. "I know, but that's not your job. You're my responsibility."

"But in eight minutes I'm not going to work here anymore. I won't be your responsibility. You're going to go down for this."

"No, I won't," Harvey said. He pulled his hand away and adjusted his jacket.

Mike snorted a laugh. "Yeah, you said I wouldn't get caught, either, and we both know how well that worked out."

" _We_ got caught," Harvey corrected. He checked his watch and headed for the door. "We better go. This is one meeting we don't want to be late for."

"Harvey."

He turned and faced Mike. "What?"

Mike was sure he had something poignant to say. Some movie moment that would make an audience tear up and have their hearts warmed at the bond between them. Instead, he sighed and held his hands up. "I don't know if I should thank you or apologize. Or punch you in the face."

Harvey smiled -- it was small, just the corners of his mouth turning up, and he shook his head. "Don't do any of it. Let's go."

Mike straightened his tie and they walked out of the office together for the last time.


End file.
